The National Geographic Magazine
Jt. i 01. 11a TOIStOy
The Dalai Lama's Tibetan Name Is Jeisum Jampel Ngawang Lobzang Yishey
Tenzing Gyatso
At the time of the author's visit he was only 10 years old. He is now 14 (page 208). Because of his
youth, his affairs are administered by a Regent, Ngwang Sungrab Thutoh Galtsen (page 178).
At a small village called Chushul Dzong
the headman informed us that the famous
Tsarong Shape, a Cabinet Minister, had of
fered us the use of his small overnight cottage.
It was a gracious Tibetan building, with sev
eral modern conveniences.
In the big reception room we were aston
ished to find the walls covered with National
Geographic Society maps of the world. Later
we learned that Tsarong Shape, whose full
name is Namgang Dasan Damdu, is the only
Tibetan member of The Society (page 179).
We saw much of him in Lhasa.
Dalai Lama's Escort Meets the Party
Twenty-five miles out of Lhasa we were met
by an escort sent out from the court of the
Dalai Lama to greet us. It was headed by a
powerfully built, fine-looking young monk,
Kusho Yonton Singhi, who was to become our
guide and inseparable adviser during our stay
in the city of mystery.
He presented us with a warm letter of wel
come and greetings from the joint Foreign
Ministers of Tibet (page 201), and with the
usual scarfs. Knowing our animals were tired,
the Ministers had sent two fresh ponies for
Brooke and me. It was a pleasure to ride the
excellent Mongolian pacer, the kind that in
Tibet only wealthy men can afford.
By Tibetan custom horsemen walk down
steep hills, but from the moment Kusho joined
us, we were not obliged to dismount. One of
Kusho's outriders would halt at the top of
each steep place, give his horse into charge
of someone else, and lead our mounts care
fully down the trail. We began to feel as if
we were precious china dolls.
At noon we rode up to several gaily deco
rated Tibetan tents, where we had tea with
our guide. The next day we woke up early
and rode off briskly with an unmistakable
feeling of excitement. Our first goal was near.
Entering the valley of Lhasa, we rode along
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